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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29848326">at every table, i’ll save you a seat.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowiesoddity/pseuds/bowiesoddity'>bowiesoddity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Ultimate Sidemen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Forehead Kisses, Hugs, M/M, Stress, mild panic attack, soft boyfriends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:08:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>768</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29848326</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowiesoddity/pseuds/bowiesoddity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is stressed during the ‘Come Dine With Me’ video, Ethan isn’t about to let his boyfriend go through it alone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Lewis/Ethan Payne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>at every table, i’ll save you a seat.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/mundane271/gifts">mundane271</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You have no idea how fucking stressful this is!” The blonde had yelled out hysterically, hoping nobody had noticed the tears that had built up so quickly in his eyes.</p><p>“The fucking bread is burnt, Harry!” JJ yells and that noise is followed by the laughter of the five other Sidemen sitting around the glass table inside of Tobi’s, now American themed, flat. </p><p>“I’m trying, I’m trying!” Harry yells again, Turing and failing dramatically at hiding the stress and anxiety building up in his tone. Ethan had noticed it then and went to reach for the blonde, but Harry had turned firm the cameras and began making his way towards the balcony of his friends flat, where the BBQ was.</p><p>There was a little section of blinds that hadn’t been opened that Harry hid behind and Ethan tried his best to ignore the twisting feeling in his stomach. Tobi had shuffled in a few moments later, holding some more burnt food and the red head took this as an opportunity to sneak out to where the blonde was... away from all the cameras and people.</p><p>The cold air of that night had greeted Ethan instantly and he almost forgot all of his problems during those few moments. The red head had turned slightly as the sound of a soft whimper filled his ears and his heart practically shattered into a million pieces at the state his boyfriend was in.</p><p>Harry walk shaking, visibly panicked and his hands were covering his face. As Ethan moved slowly closer, he could spot the tears forming on the blondes hand and Ethan had moved his hands up to rest against Harry’s wrists slowly:</p><p>“It’s alright, darling... it’s just me.” He had whispered gently and Harry’s heartbreaking sob was the response he got: “What’s got you so worked up, Bog?” Ethan asks and Harry responds through tears and soft hiccups:</p><p>“This st-stupid video, I ha-hate it.” He says and, at that point, Ethan had used his soft grip on Harry’s wrists to pull his hands away from his face then: “I don’t wa-want to do it anymore.” He whispers gently through a hiccup and his uneven breath is apparent to both males on the balcony now.</p><p>“Oh, Bog-.” Ethan starts softly and removes his hands from Harry’s wrists to cup his boyfriends face gently within his hands: “You’re doing fine, okay? The boys and I were just making jokes. We don’t mean anything by it.”</p><p>“It’s just annoying.” Harry says and sniffles gently as Ethan continued to stroke away the tears that fell from his eyes: “I’m trying my best but they just keep laughing at me.” He says and when he registers his words, he feels pathetic but he thinks he sounds like a child.</p><p>“They don’t mean it, darling.” Ethan says, “You know them- you know that this is for the video, for entertainment and of we were by ourselves you would have gotten help from more than just Tobi if it wasn’t going to plan. They didn’t mean to upset you and I sure as hell didn’t mean to upset you.” </p><p>Harry nods softly then and his shaking hands come up to rest against his boyfriends, who were still holding his face. The blonde had exhaled slowly and Ethan finally gave into the urge of wrapping his arms tightly around the younger male, pulling him in close and Harry collapsed against the slightly shorter males body.</p><p>“Feeling better?” Ethan asks gently and Harry nodded weakly against his shoulder.</p><p>“Yeah.” He sniffled out and removed his head from the red heads shoulder. Ethan sent him a small smile and used the closeness of their faces as an opportunity to connect the pairs lips in a soft kiss. Harry had practically melted, completely forgetting that they were suppose to be filming a video.</p><p>The pair broke apart, startled when JJ’s hysterically laughter was heard and Tobi was now the one yelling in frustration whilst Josh tried desperately to calm the men down. Harry was still wrapped in Ethan’s arms on the balcony of Tobi’s flat.</p><p>“Tell you what-.” Ethan began and Harry hummed gently to show he was listening: “You can come back to my flat and we can watch a film together after this. Anything you want.”</p><p>Harry’s once teary eyes brightened: “Anything?” He asks and Ethan nods gently, leaning forward in order to rest their foreheads together.</p><p>“Anything.” Ethan says and they manage to get in another gentle kiss before Simon’s voice is heard:</p><p>“At least Harry was fucking trying! You seem to be messing up the food on purpose!”</p>
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